EQS Group-Ad-hoc: Leclanché SA / Key word(s): Expansion/Strategic Company
Decision
Leclanché SA: Leclanché welcomes the EU's plans to make battery development
and production central to Europe's energy strategy
13-Oct-2017 / 12:09 CET/CEST
Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 KR
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
*Leclanché welcomes the EU's plans to make battery development and
production central to Europe's energy strategy*
*YVERDON LES BAINS, Switzerland, 13th October 2017:* Leclanché SA (SIX:
LECN), one of the world's leading energy storage solution companies,
welcomes the European Union's plans to make battery storage central to
Europe's energy infrastructure.
At the initiative of European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic, in
charge of Energy Union, a high-level meeting on Battery development and
production in Europe took place on Wednesday 11th October in Brussels. This
meeting regrouped the leading actors from the EU industry and member states
to discuss the establishment of a full value chain of batteries in Europe,
importantly including large-scale Lithium ion battery cell production. It
was recognized that the large-scale manufacturing of Lithium ion cells with
highest possible control of IP is crucial for EU economy and job creation
for the future. There was a clear sense of urgency by all parties which
included industrial leaders from automotive OEMs, Chemical companies, Energy
companies and cell manufacturing companies.
Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché, and Pierre Blanc, the company's CTIO,
were amongst the invited participants at the meeting in Brussels yesterday.
With its industrial scale manufacturing site in Germany, and its development
centers in Switzerland and Belgium, Leclanché is one of the largest
manufacturers of Lithium ion cells in Europe, and has one of the strongest
industrial basis.
A clear conclusion of the meeting was to form work strands in order to
prepare a concrete roadmap by February 2018, that could set the path to a
strong European based consortium, in many ways inspired by what was achieved
50 years ago in the aerospace sector.
Leclanché welcomes the initiative led by Vice-President Sefcovic, and is
excited to be part of this process that should enable Europe to regain a
strong position in the battery industry, which will be key in the ongoing
transition to clean mobility and clean energy systems. Lithium ion cell
production is central to the achievement of these goals and Leclanché is one
of the very few players in Europe with industrial scale Lithium ion cell
manufacturing experience.
EU funding will be made available, possibly through IPCEI (Important
Projects of Common European Interest), and the group will develop an EU-wide
action roadmap over the coming months. Work on this is to start immediately,
with Industrial participants to take the lead.
Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché, said: "Battery technology is vital to the
future security of Europe's energy supply and the initiative of
Vice-President Sefcovic will help create the right momentum and sends a
clear signal as to its importance. Leclanché has been investing heavily over
the past few years in building the required industrial foundations to be in
a position to play an important role in this ambitious plan, and we are
delighted to see such a strong and clear position taken by the European
Commission. Leclanché, as one of the oldest battery companies in Europe, and
with its strong industrial experience, aims to play a key role in this
process, as it continues to build its presence in North America, Asia and
further re-enforces its existing European activities."
* * * * *
*About Leclanché*
Leclanché is one of the world's leading fully vertically integrated energy
storage solution providers. It delivers a wide range of energy storage
solutions for homes, small offices, large industries, electricity grids, as
well as hybridization for mass transport systems such as bus fleets and
ferries. Established in 1909, Leclanché has been a trusted provider of
battery energy storage solutions for over 100 years. Founded in the
tradition of Georges Leclanché, the inventor of the dry cell battery,
Leclanché today has a rich portfolio of Battery Energy Storage Systems
(BESS) that include industry leading lithium-ion battery systems.
Leclanché is listed on the Swiss stock exchange, and is the only listed
pure-play energy storage company in the world.
SIX Swiss Exchange: ticker symbol LECN | ISIN CH 011 030 311 9
*Disclaimer*
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to
Leclanché's business, which can be identified by terminology such as
"strategic", "proposes", "to introduce", "will", "planned", "expected",
"commitment", "expects", "set", "preparing", "plans", "estimates", "aims",
"would", "potential", "awaiting", "estimated", "proposal", or similar
expressions, or by expressed or implied discussions regarding the ramp up of
Leclanché's production capacity, potential applications for existing
products, or regarding potential future revenues from any such products, or
potential future sales or earnings of Leclanché or any of its business
units.
You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such
forward-looking statements reflect the current views of Leclanché regarding
future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such
statements. There can be no guarantee that Leclanché's products will achieve
any particular revenue levels. Nor can there be any guarantee that
Leclanché, or any of the business units, will achieve any particular
financial results.
* * * * *
*Europe/Global:*
Désirée Maghoo
T: +44 (0) 7775 522740
E-mail: dmaghoo@questorconsulting.com
Simon Barker
T: +44 (0)7866 314331
E-mail: sbarker@questorconsulting.com
*US and Canada: *
Rick Anderson
T: +1 (718) 986-1596
Henry Feintuch
T: +1 (212) 808-4901
E-mail: leclanche@feintuchpr.com
*Investor Contacts*
Anil Srivastava / Hubert Angleys
T: +41 (0) 24 424 65 00
E-Mail: invest.leclanche@leclanche.com
# # #
End of ad hoc announcement
Language: English
Company: Leclanché SA
Av. des Sports 42
1400 Yverdon-les-Bains
Switzerland
Phone: +41 (24) 424 65-00
Fax: +41 (24) 424 65-20
E-mail: investors@leclanche.com
Internet: www.leclanche.com
ISIN: CH0110303119, CH0016271550
Valor: A1CUUB, 812950
Listed: SIX Swiss Exchange
End of Announcement EQS Group News Service
618749 13-Oct-2017 CET/CEST